Scratch picking is the super-fast tremolo picking often used in heavy metal music and makes a "scratchy" noise when performed correctly.

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Steps

1

Make sure your guitar is tuned up and your distortion is HIGH.

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2

First, you'll need to learn alternate picking. This means that you pick up once, then down once. When alternate picking go up and down even when you are playing notes on different strings that make this feel unnatural.

3

Next practice palm muting. Most people can do this, but rarely use it. Move your picking hand so it lightly brushes against the strings. This should muffle the strings, so that when you play, the note dies quickly.

4

Now just combine the two techniques! Play extremely quickly, and mix in chords with solos to get that metal sound.

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Tips

Many people confuse scratch picking and pick scratching. They are completely different, and make very different sounds. A pick scratch is the sound made when a pick scratches up or down a string, while scratch picking is a style of picking.

When alternate picking, rest your right hand on the bridge. This will keep your hand from getting tired.

Warnings

It may hurt a bit to alternate pick quickly. For now, just focus on technique. Speed will come.

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